Operating mine-doors



(No Model.)

P. F. SNYDER.

OPERATING MINE DOORS. No. 347,135. Patented Aug. 10,1886.

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WITNESSES: F1; 4 INVENTOR:

m 16 'BY M ATTORNEYS;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC PETER SNYDER, OF MOKEESPORI, PENNSYLVANIA.

OPERATING MINE-DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,135, dated August10, 1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER F. SNYDER. a citizen of the United States,residing at Mo- Keesport, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in OperatingMine- Doors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Doors are placed in the main entries or galleries of coal and othermines for the purpose of diverting the air-blast by which the mines areventilated, into butt entries or side galleries. It is the commonpractice in most mining districts to employ boys to open such doors topermit the passage of cars along the track laid in the main entry orgallery. In some cases, however, mechanical means have been utilized forthe purpose; but so far as I am aware none have proved satisfactory.

It is the object of my invention to provide an automatic but simpleapparatus for operating mine-doors, the same being put in action by thecars and closing of themselves immediately after the cars have passedthrough the doorway.

In carrying out my invention I arrange a rock-shaft alongside the trackand pivot it to a guard or push-bar, with which the cars come in contactas they pass along, and thus rotate the said shaft. The mine-door isconnected with the shaft by a peculiar mechanism,which raises the latchand swings the door open when the shaft turns in consequence of thelateral pressure of the cars against the aforesaid guardbar. The door isclosed by gravity or by a spring, as may be preferred.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of amine-door and track with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is across-section on a: 00, Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a plan view illustrating theoperation of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on yy, Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the bracket attached to themine-door.

The letter A indicates the rails of the track that is supposed to extendinto and along the main entry or gallery of a mine, and Ba minecar ofthe usual construction. Alongside one of the rails A A is arranged aline-shaft, O, which is adapted to rotate in bearings affixed to theties or other suitable fixed supports. This shaft is made in sections,connected by suitable couplings. It has several radial arms,

0, that project upward, and another, 0, that projects downward. To theformer, a, is jointed or pivoted the guard or push-bar D, that projectshorizontally over the adjacent rail,A, so that'the lower portions of thecar-wheels come in contact with it in passing along the track. Theportions of the bar D that are farthest from the door are inclinedbackward, Figs. 1 and 3, so that the friction and pressure of thecar-wheels on the same will be graduated both when the cars approach andrecede The bar D has arms cl, that project backward from the pivotalconnections from the door.

and are jointed to vertical rods (1, that are pivoted to the ties orsleepers and 'serve to maintain it (D) as nearly as practicable inthesame horizontal plane when moving back and forth as cars pass andrepass. In other words, the rods (1 prevent the guard-bar D from risingfar enough to strike the axles of the cars, when it is forced back bycontact with the wheels of the latter, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Avertical rock-shaft, E, is arranged in bearings attached to the post orjamb of the doorframe, to which the door F is also hinged. This shafthas two horizontal arms, e e, and the lower one, 6, is connected withthe aforementioned pendent arm 0 of the main rockshaft 0 by meansof arod, G, that extends beneath the track A, so that both shafts O and Erotate together.

The latch f of the door F is shown hinged;

or fixed horizontal arm, h, attached to the side of the door. Thefunction of the bracket is "to support the rods and furnish a point offirm attachment of the shorter rod, H, which is chiefly instrumental inpulling the door open.

It is apparent that when a car or cars pass along the track A theguard-bar D will be pushed back and the shafts O and E thereby rotated apart of a revolution on their axes, which operation will cause the rodsH H to pull and raise the latch f and swing the door F wide open, Fig.3. Thelatter will obviously remain in that position while a car or carsare passing; It will then close by its own gravity, since its lowerhinge is set back of the upper These rods are jointed together' by apin, h, that works in the slot of a bracket one for that purpose, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2; but as an aid I employa spring, I, attached tothe lower arm, of rock-shaft E, or I may hinge the door in the usual wayand depend 011 the spring alone. It is obvious that a weight, cord, andpulley may be substituted for the spring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the' track and a door, of the rock-shaft O, aguard-bar eonneetcd therewith and arranged for contact with cars passingalong said track, and mechanism for connecting said shaft with the door,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the main rock-shaft and a guard and push-barattached thereto. with the track and door, a secondary rockshaft, androds connecting it with said main shaft and door, substantially as shownand de scribed, to operate as specified.

S. The combination, with the track and door, of the main rock-shalt, aguard-bar attached thereto, the vertical rock-shaft, connecting-rod G,the rods II li, the slotted bracket, and the latch, all arranged asshown and described.

4.. The combination, with the vertical rock shaft and a swinging dooroperatively connected thereto, of the guard-bar I), having horizontalarms (I, the horizontal shaft 0, arranged beside the rail and havingarms c,that are pivoted to said arms (I, and the bar (1, also pivoted tothe latter and to the sleepers, as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the hinged door and the latch, 01' thepull-rods H Il,connceted by a 'oint-pin,and the bracket attached to thedoor and provided with a slot to receive said pin and permit its duemovement, as shown and described.

(i. The combination of the spring with the vertical rock-shalt, thejointed rods II ]l., the latch, the bracket, and the door, all as shownand described, for the purpose of closing the door automatically.

PETER F. SNYDER.

Witnesses:

Amos XV. HART, 601.0) 0. KEAION.

